Never Again
by hotcocoalatte
Summary: Naraku's got a plan, and Rin seems to be at the heart of it. Sesshoumaru's not pleased at all...in fact, he's positively murderous. And how did the Inugang get caught up in all of this?
1. So It Begins

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha.

Hey everybody! So yeah, this is my first fic and I hope that it is somewhat decent. Just in case you are wondering…no it will not be sess/rin in the romantic sense. She's a little kid here! I'll try to keep them in character (based on the manga and anime) and hopefully you won't mind my ramblings. There is some action in here! Please read and review!J

XXX

Long silvery strands of hair swayed gently as Sesshoumaru sat beneath a tree. He watched as Rin ran around attempting to decorate Jaken with some flowers. He was in a thoughtful mood that day. It had been quite a few months since the young girl had joined their group and he still wasn't quite sure how she had ended up traveling with them.

"Ne! Rin's only trying to make Jaken-sama pretty!" giggled Rin, finally getting a wreath of flowers on his head.

Grumbling, Jaken swung his staff around and croaked in that high voice of his. "Stupid girl! This is NO WAY to treat the loyal servant of Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Yes, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how the human girl had ended up with them. He had to admit, though, that she could be useful. She took good care of the two-headed dragon Ah and Un, and they (Ah and Un) likewise seemed to have developed an affection for the girl. She also distracted that toad-imp-thing Jaken, providing some sort of entertainment. Even though Jaken knew some useful knowledge, he was most often bothersome and babbled on way too much.

Rin went back to gathering more flowers and then plopped herself beside Sesshoumaru, giving him a brilliant smile. Humming, she happily twisted and joined the stems until another wreath was formed. He glanced briefly at her, then resumed his ponderings while gazing at nothing in particular.

The girl never asked for anything, besides telling him to promise not to forget or leave her, and she didn't seem to mind that he barely acknowledged her; in fact, she appeared to be content to just follow him around. He was surprised that that fact didn't bother him. His gaze shifted to her again. He knew that children wanted affection and could be quite clingy. This was why he never cared for them much, or anyone else for that matter. Emotions were bothersome, annoying, and a weakness that could be exploited. Just look at how well Naraku toyed with his half-breed brother. However, Rin was different.

"Ne! Sesshoumaru-sama!" said Rin as she held up her work for him to see. She looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for something.

He was thinking of just ignoring her, but something stopped him. Rin rarely ever touched him, somehow aware that he was adverse to such actions. Sometimes he would place a hand on her head if he was generous, and the Lord of the Western Lands was never generous: excluding Rin of course. Other lesser beings might have given her a hug. He would not lower himself to _that_. What does one usually do with children? Perhaps he should pat her on the head? It would make her happy; not that he _cared_ about her happiness that much. Instead, he opted for a 'Hn' and a nod of his head. '_That should settle the matter' _he thought; however, there was a slight twinge insisting that he could have done more.

Rin didn't seem fazed at all though. She gave him another brilliant smile and continued to play with her flowers. Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky with an ever so slight upward curve on his lips. A light breeze caressed his face.

Everything was in order.

It was a good day.

XXX

He was brought out of his reverie when the breeze carried a familiar scent to him. Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose in disgust. _Naraku… and Inuyasha._ Getting up with a fluid grace, he prepared to leave.

"Rin, stay here," he said in a cold calm voice. "Jaken. Watch and make sure nothing happens to her or your life will be forfeit." He then left in a blur of speed.

"What!" exclaimed Jaken in a whiny and despondent tone. Then, more to himself than anyone, he said, "Why do you always leave your faithful servant behind Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Rin sat down on a rock and started to swing her legs back and forth. "Don't worry Jaken-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama will come back soon! I just hope Sesshoumaru-sama will be O.K."

"Of course he'll be O.K! He's the greatest youkai alive stupid girl!" grumbled Jaken.

Swinging her legs and humming, Rin glanced at the direction Sesshoumaru-sama had went. She hoped that he would come back soon. She was happiest when he was around and Jaken was in a bad mood today (not that he was ever in a good mood). Glancing again at the forest, Rin sighed. …_Rin's bored…_

XXX

"Fuck! Where did Naraku go off to!" shouted Inuyasha, glancing around the clearing.

Kagome shot an arrow at some incoming demons. "I don't understand what he would be doing out here. Isn't he usually plotting something in his castle?"

"Kagome's right. Something doesn't seem right about the situation," answered Miroku as he swung around his staff to hit a demon from behind.

"I sense more demons coming!" Sango threw her boomerang as a wave of demons appeared in the sky. "I don't understand what he's trying to do."

Suddenly, two ghastly demons came upon the clearing. They moved with a swiftness that belied their large forms. Shippo quickly ran behind Kagome.

"What! New incarnations!" exclaimed Inuyasha. Aiming at one that was coming towards him, he sliced Tessaiga down, "Kaze no Kizu!" The attack left long gouges in the ground. Unfortunately, the ugly demon had moved out of the way. "Shit!"

Miroku turned to look at the forest. "I sense a large malevolent aura approaching!"

Inuyasha went to strike the incarnation again. He was in a bad mood. He could smell who was approaching. "Keh! That's what we need! More trouble!"

XXX

Slicing some nearby demons, Sesshoumaru came upon Inuyasha and his human companions fighting. He could smell Naraku's scent lingering around.

Continuing to fight, Inuyasha yelled. " Sesshoumaru! What the fuck are you doing here! I have no time for your shit right now!" The others tensed up. This was not a good sign. It was always hard to predict what would happen between the two brothers, but it was usually violent.

"As crude and pathetic as always little brother. However, I have not come to fight you. Where is Naraku?" replied Sesshoumaru, flicking his green whip at some demons foolish enough to come near him. He was in a hurry and had no time for his idiotic brother.

"Keh! How would I know? The bastard ran off somewhere," shouted Inuyasha. He wore a look of frustration when a blow from his sword proved ineffectual on one of the incarnations. Their skin seemed to be unnaturally tough. He appeared to have enough distractions without Sesshoumaru around.

Annoyed, Sesshoumaru moved to pursue Naraku's scent. It came as no surprise that his brother knew nothing. "Hn. You never fail to prove how useless you are Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was about to retort, but stopped when he heard a very faint scream. It seemed to be coming from very far away. Whoever it was, the person sounded terrified. Inuyasha couldn't really discern what the person was shouting though. He would have gone to help if he knew his friends could fight without him. He quickly glanced at everyone to see if they were OK. They continued to fight, unaware of the yell.

The voice screamed again. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-samaaaaa!"

The demon lord paused when he heard Rin's voice shouting for him. Deciding that he would get the bastard Naraku another time, Sesshoumaru quickly turned to the direction he had come from. Sensing this, the two new demons from Naraku stopped attacking the others and intercepted Sesshoumaru. It was almost as if they knew this was going to happen. Inuyasha looked slightly confused at this, but then went to attack them. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, flicked his green whip at the demons: it didn't appear to affect them at all.

"Sesshoumaruuuuu!" The blood-curdling scream had just went up a notch. Sesshoumaru felt his stomach drop a little bit. He attempted to dash through the demons; they were not worth his time fighting.

However, the demons seemed adamant in stalling the Lord of the West.

"Sesshoumaaa…_ahhhhhhhhhh_!"

The shouting was replaced by a never-ending shriek that tore at the soul.

Extremely irritated and annoyed, Sesshoumaru pulled out Toukijin and blasted one of the incarnations apart. Pieces of flesh rained about the clearing. He had to hurry.

Slowly, the pitch grew higher and higher. "_Ahhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_!"

_It screamed of pain and torture unimaginable._

An icy knife slowly sliced its way up Sesshoumaru's spine. He had no time for this! Swiftly, he flew by the remaining demon.

"_Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_………………."

The agonizing shriek grew weaker and weaker before finally dying off.

The icy knife was now twisting in Sesshoumaru's stomach. He did not like this strange feeling escalating in him and hastily flew through the forest. Unconsciously, he gripped Tenseiga tightly: draining his fingers of any color. This did not bode well at all.

XXX

Yea! Cliffhanger! Wow. That chap ended up being longer than I thought it would be. In case you're wondering why Sess isn't more interactive with Rin, well…when you really look at the manga or the anime they barely touch. The only time is when he's saving her. Plus, I don't think it would be that easy for him to change that quickly. I mean, I'm not a demon who spent at least 100 years killing things and I find it hard to change things about myself. Anyway, enough blabbering. PLEASE review! Any comments, how can I improve?


	2. Unexpected

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha, but it'll be interesting putting them in diff situations…

Hello again everybody! As a general note- thanks to Devlinn Reiko-sama (my first reviewer -yea!), Hanyou-demoness, kirei, Centaury Cruxis Angel, heofen, and bob for reviewing! I'll try to update regularly (got midterms, assignments, an essay and exams in the next few wks) and hopefully I won't disappoint! (Is it just me or are there too many exclamation points everywhere?)

Heofon: Whoa, long review!(Which is a good thing) I'm glad you found it kind of funny (though I'm not really trying to make it a humour fic) And the way they talk… well even though it's "classic villainy", it reminds me of how my little brother and I annoy each other sometimes (except without the swearing, malice and killing part - ) Plus, you're right. Since this is my first story ever, I don't really have my style down yet. For the ending of the previous chap, I thought that it was kind of fast, but I'm not used to writing fighting scenes (especially since I didn't want emphasis on the bad guys- their purpose was to act more as a catalyst). Hopefully, all I need is some more practice!

Anyway, next chap!

XXX

As Sesshoumaru dashed through the forest towards Rin, Tenseiga pulsed lightly- telling him to hurry. There was an underlying urgency to its beats and it was unsettling. What was Tenseiga trying to say? Though he was worried, (that damn icy knife kept turning in his gut!), he was sure that he would save her. He had always done so in the past, and this time would be no different. No. Instead, he was _very_ pissed off. Did Naraku think that he could best this Sesshoumaru? After Rin was once again safe, he would definitely get the sneaky bastard and take great pleasure in ripping his head off.

He was startled out of his pleasant thoughts, though, when a whiff of Rin's scent came to him. Around it was the stench of poison, blood, and…_death_. However, Sesshoumaru was caught off guard when Tenseiga stopped vibrating. _What? _He hadn't even reached her yet! He quickly followed her scent.

He finally came upon her small frame slumped over the protruding roots and leafy debris that covered the ground. He was not bothered with the sight of blood or gore anymore, for he had been killing things for a long time. But…. the scene that greeted him could only be called _disturbing_. It looked as if she had been trying to run away. She obviously had not succeeded.

The large dark pool beneath her slowly spread- as if it was still trying to get away. Only a few clumps of dark hair could be seen on her smooth head and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice a handful of strands stick to the glossy pool and flutter uselessly up and down with the wind. He could only assume that the crimson protrusions from her clothing were her limbs. And….and the smell was unbearable. It seemed to create a vapour that burned his nose and threatened to scald his eyes. A thick metallic taste lingered in his mouth.

She had been sprayed with some sort of corrosive poison.

With quick graceful strides he came to stand beside her. Grasping the hilt of Tenseiga, he prepared to draw the sword. Something was wrong though: it was not responding. His throat went dry and his insides seemed to fall away. This was absurd. Tenseiga would listen to _this Sesshoumaru_!

He raised the sword over the body and narrowed his eyes. He was going to _make_ Tenseiga work. He stood and waited. He became very irritated when seconds passed and nothing happened. A hollowness entered his being. His body stiffened. Where were the minions that carried the soul to the after-life? Why was this not working! But now he finally understood why Tenseiga had stopped thrumming. It could not or would not save her. _'Why?' _he thought. He re-sheathed his sword. _'What a **useless** thing, this Tenseiga.' _When it had been Kagura in this position, he had been fairly calm. But now…all he could feel was emptiness. He felt as if his being had been split from his body. He was in nothingness.

His eyes flashed a crimson red and a low guttural growl emanated from his chest. _Someone_ would pay for this. His ears twitched when he heard something coming towards him. His hand contracted and he cracked his fingers. It looked like the demon from earlier had decided to follow him. How foolish. The thing would die.

The incarnation came at Sesshoumaru, but when it glanced at his face and felt his growing jyaki, a look of terror crossed its face. It turned to flee, however futile the attempt would be. Sesshoumaru didn't wait. An aura of cold calm rage surrounded him as he came upon the _thing_ with unfathomable speed. He didn't even think to use Toukijin. With sharpened claws, he sliced the demon across the body like it was the easiest thing to do in the world. He gripped the despicable thing by the throat and slowly ate it away with his poison. This _thing_ had dared to distract him. Sesshoumaru snapped its head off and threw it to the ground. He then became still: his only movement the clenching and unclenching of his hand. A moment passed.

He slowly walked back to where the girl's corpse now laid.

XXX

Everyone looked around in bewilderment. Just as suddenly the demons had come, they had left. The remaining incarnation had dashed off in Sesshoumaru's direction before Inuyasha could kill it. He sheathed Tessaiga before chasing after the demon. Since there was nothing left to do, the rest of the Inu-gang followed.

"I wonder where it's going," questioned Sango as she rode on Kirara's back.

Miroku looked thoughtful for a second. "I think that I saw Sesshoumaru go this way earlier, but I don't see why this demon would go in his direction."

Kagome looked ahead. She agreed with what Sango and Miroku had said. What was Naraku doing? She had a feeling that something was terribly wrong though. Whatever Naraku planned was not good.

The group then noticed that Inuyasha had sped up. "Something's wrong," he said, seeming to share the same sentiment as Kagome. Inuyasha could smell a great deal of blood and poison and the stench of death hung heavily in the air. Sesshoumaru was there; it smelt like he had finished the remaining incarnation off. There was another smell under everything, though, and it was human. It seemed vaguely familiar. _'The little girl!' _thought Inuyasha.

He picked up his speed even more and eventually found Sesshoumaru standing beside something on the ground. Inuyasha abruptly stopped a good distance away and could only stare at the sight before him. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice that he was there. He didn't seem to notice anything around him and that was surprising considering that Sesshoumaru was such an observant demon. The rest of the gang followed and Inuyasha quickly jumped to cover Shippo's eyes.

"What!" Shippo shouted. He pushed the hands off but then froze.

The others froze too- Kagome made a strange sound in her throat and looked sickly pale.

"What….," started Miroku, eyes wide.

Nothing could describe the horror that they were seeing. They could only watch in shock as Sesshoumaru slowly kneeled down beside the little girl's ruined body.

XXX

The demon lord stood silently above Rin, an indiscernible look on his face as he gazed down at her. He didn't seem to notice that there were other people watching him. He didn't notice the tears that were starting to stream down Kagome's face or the shocked look on Inuyasha's. Sesshoumaru could only feel emptiness- a hollowness where something used to be. He had failed in protecting his ward. Though only a human, she had somehow become his responsibility and he had failed miserably. The proof was right below him. He slowly lowered himself down to his knees and knelt beside her.

Yes. He had failed miserably. Sesshoumaru carefully flipped Rin's body until she was facing him. He noticed that half of her face had been eaten away and one eye was still open, staring hazily. It looked right at him- accusing him. '_Rin…'_ His hand reached out and he gently ran a clawed finger against her other cheek. The skin was still soft and yielded to his touch, but the color was wrong. He thought back to his musings that morning. How morbidly ironic that he could only touch her now in death. In a daze, he held her up, just as he did many months ago when he had revived her from the wolves. This time, however, she would not be waking up. Looking down at her, he still felt nothing. No sadness, no anger: just emptiness.

'_Rin' he thought again. He shifted her until her head rested near his shoulder. It lolled to the side. Crimson stains appeared on pristine white- matching the red that decorated his clothing. A heaviness settled in his chest, but he still felt empty. Why did he feel so empty? He should at least feel something; especially anger at Naraku for playing his stupid games on him. But no: just this strange hollowness. He clutched Rin tighter. Why was Rin's death affecting him so? He knew that he had grown somewhat attached to the little girl; had become soft in that respect. She was just a mortal that followed him around. And he had let her. She was just human, and humans were nothing. Just as Naraku was soon to be nothing. Just as Tenseiga ( which he found to be even more useless than he thought) was nothing. It was just like the nothing that filled him right now._

He _did not _like this feeling. He could be cold and unfeeling: yes. Possibly cruel? Well, many believed him to be so. But this strange deadness inside? Hn. Of course not. That did not happen to this Sesshoumaru. The very notion was ridiculous. Death could be a number of things- amusing or bothersome, satisfying or uninteresting- but it was not suppose to be like this. Death did not cause him to be like this. He unconsciously held Rin tighter.

"Uh? Sesshou…..?" Inuyasha stopped abruptly when Sesshoumaru started to growl and glance his way. His eyes were red-tinged and they caused a chill to run down Inuyasha's back. The hanyou put his hand on Tessaiga's hilt.

Sesshoumaru ignored him, possibly because he was vaguely aware of what had just transpired. He buried his face into what remained of Rin's hair, still growling. He felt something rise in him as he could detect almost nothing of her natural scent. Just poison and blood. Did he already forget what she smelt like? Would he always remember it to be like this? The thought of that made him inwardly cringe. Was he now becoming just as irrational as his pathetic brother? Of course he would remember her if he chose to do so! He was a high-blooded youkai lord! That thought seemed to mollify him a little.

Keeping her head below his chin, he found his hand reaching for hers. He slowly grasped it. It was so pathetic looking. It was so small and frail compared to his own clawed hand. He rubbed his fingers up and down the tiny digits. How many flowers had been plucked because of them? How many floral wreathes did she make because of them? Sesshoumaru then gently placed the hand on her stomach. Curling his arm beneath the girl, he deftly lifted her up. He cradled her close, almost as if he was trying to put something back inside him, and gracefully rose up: unaware of the mess upon his attire.

Not even glancing at the others near him, he gradually walked away.

XXX

So…How was it? Comments or improvements? Please review! Did I spell jyaki right? Everything is getting too depressing! I felt so bad doing that but don't worry…..everything will work out in the end… just gotta traumatize him a bit. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it.


	3. Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

Hello! So how many ppl were actually expecting Rin to die? Don't freak out though! Everything will work out eventually. Hmmm……Anyway, again thanks to everyone who reviewed! Thank U! Thank U! I tried to make this one not as depressing, but you can't expect ppl to be happy after something like that. So on with the show! (or story in this case) (Does anyone find it strange that I have pairs of sentences that rhyme? I didn't notice until I read over the chaps again.) And to Centauri Cruxis Angel: - Don't think I'm trying to torture you with cliff-hangers! They just ended up that way…

Heofon: Thanks for another long review! They are always helpful and make me think. I think one reason it didn't seem like a tragedy (in the 1st chap) was because it just focused on the action and Sess wasn't _too _ worried. I think that he was pretty confident that he could fix whatever happened. You must admit he thinks highly of himself.

XXX

Everyone stood in silence as they watched Sesshoumaru walk away. No one knew what to say. With a pale face and sad eyes, Miroku began a prayer. Though said in a whisper, it was deafening. Beside him, Sango's eyes continued to stare at the death site. They were unfocused: as if she was seeing something else there. Kagome's vision, on the other hand, was blurry due to the tears streaming down her face. She held Shippo who was deathly still and yet trembling in her arms. Kirara untransformed and stood beside Sango.

Then there was Inuyasha. He stared blankly at where his brother had been. He had known Sesshoumaru for a long time, and he had _never_ seen him like that. When those red eyes had turned to him, he had to admit that he had been at least a little freaked out. It wasn't the fact that his brother had looked crazy and about to attack him that was scary (though he wouldn't have wanted to fight him in that state). It had been the completely dead look in his eyes. In the past, Sesshoumaru never really had any expression on his face, but he at least had _something_ there. Every time they met, it had the same basic uninterested foundation with a varying look on top. Whether it was the 'You annoy me, now die' look, the ' I'm better than you' look, or just a plain bored look, it was always _something_. Inuyasha still believed his brother to be a cold bastard, but he didn't think he deserved _that _and the little girl _definitely_ did not deserve what she got. Inuyasha came out of his daze when he felt an itch on his neck.

"Oy! Myoga! What the hell are you doing here?" said Inuyasha as he slapped his neck.

"Ah. Master Inuyasha. Your blood is as delicious as ever, but I see that I have come during a most unfortunate circumstance."

"You're damn right you stupid flea," muttered the hanyou.

Miroku had just finished his prayer. _'May her soul rest in peace' _He then looked sadly at the others. "I, uh, guess we should be leaving then?"

"Keh," replied Inuyasha. "Who wants to hang around here all day?"

With that said, everyone quietly made their way out of the forest and reached a dirt trail. Each step echoed in the silence. The bright, cheerful day mocked the Inu-group in their dreary walk. Sango stared straight ahead. She seemed to be troubled by something. She felt uncomfortable about breaking the stillness, but she had a question that wouldn't leave her mind.

"Um, Myoga?……Do you have any idea why Sesshoumaru wasn't able to use his sword?"

Everyone, brought out of their thoughts, listened intently.

"Hmmmm…. Interesting question. Now let me think… I've chatted with Toutosai before and I know that the Tenseiga works by killing the messengers that carry the soul to the afterlife. A person would have to have at least some feelings to use it though."

"Keh. Sesshoumaru's a heartless bastard," said Inuyasha- though half-heartedly.

"Inuyasha! How can you say that!" shouted Kagome. She was still having a hard time stopping her tears.

"Well, we know that he can use it," interrupted Sango, getting the conversation back on track. "Remember Kanta and his father? He didn't give an impression that he even wanted to save him, yet Tenseiga worked. And Sesshoumaru looked as if he would have used the sword on Rin if he could."

"That's true… What are the limits of Tenseiga?" asked Miroku.

Myoga held his chin. " Well…..There seems to be a limited time period that it can be used. The soul must be nearby for the sword to put it back in and it must be used before the messengers take the soul away. I would also think that the body can't be too badly damaged. Tenseiga can heal grievous wounds, but I don't think it can put flesh back on bones- like if someone had completely burned in a fire."

"So, Rin's body was too damaged?" asked Miroku.

"That, or her soul wasn't there."

Everyone went into a thoughtful silence. No one felt like saying anything, and that was okay. There was nothing to say. The group continued to walk in a gloomy haze. Kagome still had tears that would occasionally roll down her cheeks- she tried to be inconspicuous about it. Sango stared blankly at the forest- lost in thought, and Miroku would repeatedly glance at his hand. Inuyasha was growing irritated. He couldn't take the suffocating silence- especially a silence that was from time to time broken by Kagome's sniffles.

"Oy wench! Stop crying already!" grunted Inuyasha. He hated when girls cried: particularly girls named Kagome.

Kagome wiped her eyes again. "I am not crying!"

"Keh! Then what do you call it?"

"I am not crying! I just can't stop my eyes from watering!"

She sniffled.

"Sounds like crying to me."

"Ugh! Do you expect me to smile at a time like this baka!" shouted Kagome.

"Keh! Stop worrying. Sesshoumaru will be fine. He's a heartless bastard remember? You're the one with the problem."

Kagome couldn't believe what he just said. "SIT!" A large _whump! _could be heard. She wasn't the one with the problem: he was! "How can you say that! Maybe he is heartless, but he is your brother! And are you forgetting about Rin!"

Inuyasha silently twitched on the ground. He sometimes couldn't help the things that came out of his mouth. He couldn't tell the others that he actually was worried. Worried and slightly afraid that that could have been any one of his friends (especially Kagome) in Rin's position. Naraku wanted them all dead.

Miroku slowly sidled up beside Sango. He started speaking in a calm, soothing voice, "Ahhhh….Kagome is right Inuyasha. This is a trying time for everyone. And, as a monk, it is my duty to comfort those in grief." His hand inched its way to a certain behind and, once reaching its goal, moved in a firm, smooth circular motion. "Yes," he said as he nodded his head, "It is a burden that I am most willing to bear."

"Houshiiii-samaaaa…,"said a low irritated voice before a loud smack was heard. Yet, Sango had a slight grin on her face. It was a silly thing, but everyone smiled lightly- glad of the small break from the tension and sadness that hung in the air. The moment didn't last long though. The group was once again encased in a depressive fog: where conversation died quickly and silence reigned. It was only a matter of time before each person became lost again in his or her own thoughts.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. There were no more signs of Naraku, and so the group eventually came to rest at a clearing that thankfully had a nice little hot spring. It was after everyone ate that Sango and Kagome gathered their bathing supplies. After telling Miroku that he better not spy on them, the girls made their way toward the spring. They were gently blanketed by warm mist as they unclothed themselves and settled into the calming water.

Kagome quietly stared out into the surrounding forest. She was trying hard to relax, but was finding it difficult to do so. She couldn't help but think of Rin. Of the few times that she had seen her, Rin had seemed like a sweet little girl. The vision of her broken body flashed in Kagome's mind. _No_ _one _deserved to die like that. '_Yes, Rin especially did not deserve that_' she thought as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. She had seen a lot of death during her time in Feudal Japan, but they were either people she did not know personally or demons trying to attack their group. Actually, the only thing barely coming close to this was probably Kagura's death. Though she had mainly been their enemy, Kagome sympathized for her desire to become free and found that, in the end, she hadn't been that bad of a person after all. However, the scene between Rin and Sesshoumaru had been horrible and Kagome knew that it would forever be imprinted on her mind.

"It…It's terrible, isn't it?" said a soft voice to Kagome's left.

"Huh?" Kagome replied, breaking away from her thoughts. It seemed that she wasn't the only one that was thinking along these lines.

"What happened to Rin….and Sesshoumaru."

"Oh….yeah."

There was a pause as both seemed to gather their thoughts. "I don't think I've ever seen Sesshoumaru like that. Not that it was very noticeable, but I think he was in a lot of pain." Sango stopped and watched the steam casually rise from the water's surface before continuing. "I could barely stand to watch. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't look away."

"I know what you mean. I felt like I was intruding on his privacy or something," answered Kagome. She remembered how she couldn't move or look away. "He was scary too, wasn't he? I felt as if he would jump and claw me if I made a sound!"

"Yeah." Sango's gaze then focused on the forest. Almost a minute had passed before she answered again. "I couldn't help but be reminded of Kohaku," she said.

Kagome, not expecting that comment, looked at her friend sadly. "Sango…"

Dark eyes continued to look at the forest. "If Kohaku died…." Sango paused.

"Sango! You know we'll make sure that Kohaku is saved!"

"Yeah, I know. But…Sesshoumaru is a powerful demon _and _has a life-giving sword. If he couldn't save Rin from Naraku's plan…"

"Hey! Everything will work out alright. You have good friends to depend on!"

Sango gave Kagome a smile. "Thanks. I know you guys will always be there for me." She then looked slightly worried. "But who's going to be there for Sesshoumaru? I mean, there is that toad Jaken…"

Both girls suddenly smirked at the thought of Jaken trying to comfort Sesshoumaru. "Hmmm. I don't think he would last long if he tried that," giggled Kagome softly. She tried to picture Jaken hugging and giving Sesshoumaru a pat on the back, but was finding it difficult. It would go against the natural balance of the universe- it just would not happen.

"I don't think Inuyasha would be much help either," replied Sango thoughtfully. "Those brothers sure make things difficult."

Both girls sighed.

Even though Sesshoumaru had tried to kill her many times, constantly fought and said he would kill Inuyasha, and did who knows what else, Kagome felt really bad for him. _'He isn't as cold-hearted as he was before'_ she thought; though, she wasn't sure what he would be like now after Rin's death. '_I wonder how badly this will affect him?' _She sighed again.

"It's too bad that there's nothing we can do," said Kagome.

XXX

Yeah! Another chapter done! Is it just me or does anyone find it incredible that Shippo is a pretty well-adjusted kid? I mean, he sees a lot of death everyday. I guess he just got used to it. And poor Inuyasha. I don't think he has had much practice interacting with ppl growing up. But it's fun to write them fighting. Anyway, lots of dialogue in this chap and I meant to put Sess in, but it didn't work out that way. Will be in next chap! So PLEASE review! Comments or suggestions welcome!


	4. Kicking Around

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha

Hi everyone! Thanks to those who reviewed! They make me happy! And I'm sooooo sorry for the crazy long wait, but I have had like 7 exams in two weeks and then had intersession for 3 wks, which is finally over! (Biochem…. _shudder)_. (I know…cruddy excuses) sigh Tried to keep my GPA at 4.2 and I'm like brain-dead now. Anyway, I'm finding it hard trying to get this story to where it's supposed to go. So hopefully everyone will bear with me. Something just doesn't feel right…sighs again And I think my style is _all _over the place and I'm trying to make the chaps longer. Gah! Jaken may seem OOC, but…meh, the following scene was amusing so I kept it the way it is. -

Centauri Cruxis Angel: Thanks for the nice review! If what you're saying is true, I think Sess will die of a heart attack before the end of this story. All that food can't be good for you. Or he'll gain weight. We wouldn't want to destroy that lovely physique of his - And the deal about Rin….I have some ideas….you'll find out later. And Shippo going through pocket change?…Maybe he got the habit from Miroku? He has a habit of taking things…

AnimeFreak: I don't really mean to offend anyone with the swearing, it's just that Inuyasha has such a potty-mouth and I'm trying to keep him IC. (like in the manga) It's kind of funny that I'm using it here, though, since I don't swear in real life. (and I don't have anything against ppl who do-except for those who swear for like every second word that comes out of their mouth. I mean, learn some vocabulary!- Anyway, I just never got into the habit, which is strange since my family sometimes swear like crazy) Maybe Inuyasha should learn some manners?

XXX

He tried to be inconspicuous.

He started to mumble, but then caught himself.

He tried not to cringe.

He tried talking. He tried being silent. He tried some humble worshipping. He tried nothing, and he tried everything. He honestly was trying.

A pointed metal heel ground its way into his skull.

Jaken was just not having a good day.

This was the girl's fault. He shook his head- no, it was Naraku's. Though Jaken was loath to admit it, he had come to care for the girl. She had been someone to talk to- or fight with- when Sesshoumaru was away. She had called him Jaken-sama; he missed the title. However trivial, something new or interesting had always come out of her mouth. He missed reprimanding her for her pathetic ideas.

Ah, the good old days.

Jaken sighed. It had been a little over two days since her death, and he missed her now more than ever- especially with the onset of these new "mood-swings" of his Sesshoumaru-sama.

If one could call them "mood-swings."

Sesshoumaru didn't 'swing' through many moods- Jaken wasn't sure if he even had many. It was more like the alternation between two main ones, or two versions of the same one. His Lord had taken it upon himself to stare thoughtfully into the distance while periodically beating the crap out of his servant. Jaken had termed it "vengeful" Sesshoumaru. It made him cringe. Sesshoumaru had always abused him when annoyed; there was a price for following the Great Lord, of course. Unfortunately, abuse had taken a new turn these days.

"Jaken." Jaken flinched, and Sesshoumaru stared quietly into the distance.

"Ye…e…ss…ss….Lo…ord…Sess…hou…maru?" sputtered Jaken. He glanced at the ground and then around him-as if looking for a way to escape the wrath of his lord.

Sesshoumaru stood silently. The metal part of his boot stepped once again on the toad's head. It twisted to the left and then to the right. It was as if he was trying to grind a nasty piece of gum off of his shoe. He then stopped, but did not remove his boot. Jaken's face was planted deep within the soil. It was not the only time that he had to eat dirt that day.

"Bpat kan I thoo por you me loerd?" It was hard to breath, not eat dirt, and speak at the same time.

Sesshoumaru kicked him. "Shut up, Jaken." He then resumed walking.

Jaken twitched and then quickly jumped up- dirt and leaves intertwined amongst his clothing. He brushed himself off, scurried after his lord, grabbed Ah and Un's rope, and tried to be silent.

A few peaceful moments passed by before Sesshoumaru paused again. He glanced at Jaken. The toad froze.

"Y…yes my Lord?" he asked tentatively. However, Jaken figured he might as well get used to it. He sighed inwardly as he was kicked into a nearby tree- branches scratching him as he fell down. Little spots danced in front of him. At least this part was pretty.

"Shut up, Jaken," replied a monotone voice.

Silence filled around them once again. Jaken figured a good chunk of his life was being eaten away by the tension in the air. Who knew when Sesshoumaru-sama would stop again? And it was _way_ too quiet. He could hear the sway of the trees, the whispers through the leaves, a bird twittering here and there, and the crunch of foliage beneath AhUn's feet. It seemed too peaceful. It was driving him crazy.

As Jaken walked, he noticed a pretty white flower growing. He sighed. Rin had loved such ridiculous things. And his master had seemed to appreciate her little offerings. He ruminated upon this until an idea popped into his head. _Maybe…just maybe… _

Unfortunately, Jaken wasn't the most brilliant of toads. Or maybe all the kicks to the head had caught up to him and finally rattled something up there. Either way, it was obvious that he was not thinking clearly.

"My Lord," screeched the toad as he plucked the flower and presented it to Sesshoumaru. It was when glancing at his master's face that Jaken discovered that he had made a huge mistake. A stupid mistake. What had he been thinking? He was going to _die._

"Do you mock me Jaken?" said his Lord dangerously. The cold tone froze Jaken in place.

"N…no! No! I was just…I was thinking….well Rin…"

"Silence." The whole forest seemed to have gone completely still.

Jaken trembled upon the ground. THIS was the end. He could feel the powerful youki radiating from Sesshoumaru-sama. He should have known not to bring up that particular name. Well, he had nothing to lose now. "I…I…figured…you might miss…well…" Who was he kidding? He was going to die.

"Are you suggesting that This Sesshoumaru _misses _a human child?" Long, pale fingers cracked and golden eyes narrowed. Hell itself would have recoiled at such a gaze.

Jaken cowered at his lord's feet. Sweat beaded upon his brow. "Of… c…course not my lord. This lowly servant knows nothing! Please forgive my stupidity!" Maybe Kami would spare some mercy?

Sesshoumaru glared at him. Icy daggers pinned Jaken to his spot. He _knew _he was dead.

"I…I…it…has… b..b…been…an honor serving you my lord," he groveled. However, this seemed to be the right thing to say, for Sesshoumaru paused. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. He stared into the distance.

"Do not speak of her again." Surprisingly, he did not kick Jaken into the forest- or kill him. Silvery strands swayed as he resumed walking in silence.

Jaken sighed in relief. He had been sure he was going to die at that moment. However, he was not about to question the strange merciful mood that had come upon his lord. Scrambling feet flicked dirt as he scurried after his Sesshoumaru-sama. Despite all appearances, Jaken knew his Lord missed the girl. Grabbing AhUn's harness, a glazed look passed over his eyes as he thought over the previous two days.

XXX

"_Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" _

_Jaken weaved drunkenly through the forest. Rin was missing, and everything was a blur. He remembered talking to her as she swung her legs, and then he remembered her singing, and then… He wasn't quite sure. _

…_There had been a flicker of light and a flash of white. He had turned to the forest to try to see who was there, but it had become silent. He had held his staff defensively, had then shouted for the being to show itself or face the wrath of his Sesshoumaru-sama, and had then turned to check on Rin, but had found that she had disappeared- as well as Ah and Un. That was when he had heard the screaming. He had found himself scrambling towards the voice, but had instead found himself staring at the body of Ah and Un. He had moved toward the dragon, and was relieved to hear an angry snort from the beast. Ah and Un had tried to get up, but were unable to due to the fact that part of them seemed to have been eaten away. Jaken had stared aghast at the sight. Seeing that the dragon was at least going to live, though, Jaken had resumed searching for the girl. However, he had not been hopeful…_

_Jaken still wasn't hopeful. The shrill shrieks had died down quite a while ago, and his only hope now was finding his Sesshoumaru-sama. And he wasn't looking forward to the encounter. He had lost Rin, and, considering the screams, was going to be in MAJOR trouble. That was if he wasn't killed on the spot, of course. _

"_Sesshoumaru-sama!…Riiiiiiiiiin!….Sesshouuuuuumaru-samaaaaa!" He continued to amble aimlessly around. _

_He stopped when he happened to bump into something. Glancing up, he saw the impassive face of his Lord._

"_Sesshoumaru-sama!" He quickly fell to the ground. "Ah! Forgive me! I lost Rin! There was something in the forest, and the stupid brat disappeared! I believe that she is in trouble!"_

_There was a heavy silence before his Lord spoke. "Is that so Jaken?" The sardonic tone chilled the toad. Sensing something amiss, he looked up again. It was now that he noticed the blood trailing down his Lord's sleeves, creating a mesmerizing pattern upon the white cloth. Confused, he looked to the source and found that something was cradled in Sesshoumaru's arm. What was it? He stared harder, and eventually cold realization hit him. He started to shake._

"_M…my Lord?" His eyes were wide, for he could not believe what was happening. That could not be Rin, could it? He was in big trouble…_

_However, his Lord walked by him. Jaken scrambled to keep up. He followed as his Lord made his way to AhUn. Jaken was told to stay there while his Lord just disappeared. He wasn't sure what his Sesshoumaru-sama went off to do- most likely off to think of some horrific punishment. It was not until almost sunset that his Lord finally came back. By this time, Ah and Un were well enough to walk, and Jaken, who kept jumping at the slightest sound and was now periodically twitching, was resigned to whatever fate his Sesshoumaru-sama had decided to bestow upon him._

_After glancing at his companions, Sesshoumaru began to smoothly walk away, the bundle still in his arms. Jaken knew that he was to follow. Silently the group trailed through the forest. The sky was darkening to orange and red, and Jaken was getting tired. Where was his Lord taking them?_

_The sun was almost down now, and Jaken walked around blindly before he noticed that his Sesshoumaru-sama had stopped. Puzzled, he glanced around him. They were in a field of some sort- where long grass and flowers were gently swaying in the night air. Jaken noticed his Lord standing beside a lone sakura tree and scrambled over to him._

"_My Lord?"_

_Sesshoumaru barely moved before gracefully settling himself beneath the tree, startling Jaken. He didn't bother glancing at the toad, but instead turned to look at the forest._

"_Dig."_

"_Sesshoumaru-sama?" spluttered Jaken._

_A hard gaze fell on him. Jaken jumped in fear- his heart began to beat furiously. "Ye…yes my Lord! Right away! You can count on me my Lord!" He rushed to find the perfect spot beneath the tree, and then… He had a problem. "Uh…I…I do not have a shovel my Lord!"_

_Sesshoumaru turned slightly to look at him, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "That does not concern me. Dig. Do I make myself clear?" His tone suggested that there was no room for argument._

"_Uh…of course my Lord!" Jaken immediately proceeded to hack away at the offending soil with his staff and whatever stone happened to be nearby…_

XXX

Another swift kick to the head brought Jaken back to reality. Groaning and rubbing his head, he remembered again that the task had taken almost all night to finish, and that he had been completely exhausted by the end. However, the worst part had been trying to ignore his Lord, who had been sitting motionless beneath the tree.

Eerie could be the only word that described the moment, as Jaken shivered at the memory. His Lord had been still… so still that Jaken had to glance periodically at him just to make sure that he was really there and not just a figment of his imagination. It had been creepy the way his Lord just held the girl, a ghostly figure in the moonlight. And it had been completely silent- except for the continuous crunch of staff on soil as Jaken toiled away. It was as if the forest knew to be quiet; lest some creature fall under the wrath of a demon lord. Jaken shivered again. Yes, there had been danger in the air, and a strange melancholy too. Of course his Lord missed the girl: it had been quite obvious. Not that Jaken would tell him that though. Sighing, and hoping for the best, Jaken continued to follow his Sesshoumaru-sama. Who knew what the next few days would bring?

XXX

Finally! The infamous 4th chap is done! I just had to point out that it was weird writing a flashback within a flashback. Anyway, we'll be getting Sess's thoughts next chap!


	5. Naraku?

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Inuyasha.

Recap: Rin has just died and Jaken has acted like an idiot. I know…I haven't updated in a looooong while. Sorry! If I'm OOC tell me and maybe I'll try to correct it. I'm probably way off on Shippo-- if so, tell me! J I'm also not Japanese, soooo…I know there's a thing called Brit-picking, if anyone wants to do some 'Japanese-picking', again, please do so!

OoOoOoOoOoO

Sesshoumaru walked lightly above the ground with a natural grace that few ethereal creatures could claim. His face, as usual, was expressionless as Jaken and AhUn quietly trudged behind him.

The hard rage that had previously bubbled and burst from within the demon lord had now dropped to a slow simmer. He not only seethed at the way Naraku had just recently bested him, but at the way he had shown weakness before Inuyasha and his little rag-tag following.

And just when he was gaining back his equilibrium -- for recklessness and unchanneled anger only led to stupidity and oftentimes death -- his irritating retainer managed to bring idiocy to new lows, claiming to know what This Sesshoumaru thought and wanted. If not for the fact that Jaken was somewhat handy, knew some rather obscure knowledge, and had a loyalty that was incredibly annoying to a fault, Sesshoumaru might have already killed him --not that he put any particular effort into keeping him alive in the first place. Well, that was what he told himself anyway. Jaken, despite his many flaws, was at least a step above the cowardly and even more irritating Myoga.

In his frustration, a low growl managed to escape Sesshoumaru, causing his retainer to rigidly stop.

Flowing from his hand, his youki unconsciously formed into a thin, green whip. It flicked and, instead of slicing Jaken to pieces, sent him sprawling into an unceremonious heap, a sizzling and smoking line burnt across his face. The whip vanished even before the toad-like demon made a sound. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice or care that Jaken barely moved before walking on. Indeed, he seemed to not notice anything at all.

Instead, he fell into a sort of meditation, trying to clear and process his thoughts. He would get the disgraceful self-naming demon Naraku. And it would be someday soon, for no-one made a fool of This Sesshoumaru. His thoughts trailed upon this path, beating it down with numerous ways to finish and defeat his opponent. These thoughts also kept him focused, busying him away from his other, deeper, more insidious ones -- ones that he had firmly placed out of mind, for they were neither important nor wanted.

Slowly coming to the edge of a cliff, Sesshoumaru looked over the forests. Face as impassive as ever, and not showing a thing despite his thoughts, he found himself calming. He would get his revenge; it was only a matter of time.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Inuyasha rolled his back, cracked his neck, and stretched his muscles as various small popping noises rippled.

'Ewwww! Inuyasha! Stop that!' squealed Kagome as she cringed.

He shrugged and took out Tessaiga for a good clean rub-down. The faint scent of Naraku's recent incarnations still lingered upon his sword and he was damned if he didn't get it off.

Miroku poked at their breakfast, humming, checking to see if it was done.

'You know,' the young monk said to no-one in particular, 'I don't think that I've slept this well since…' He scratched his head, and then shook it as a dazed smile graced his face. 'Well…Buddha's good grace must have been upon me last night, for I dreamt of three dazzling beauties. They were most thankful for my timely purging of a demon from their home and fed me a most magnificent meal where afterwards--'

A large object found the back of Miroku's head.

'Oh, my apologies Houshi.' Sango sat beside Inuyasha and dropped her large boomerang into her lap. 'Just repositioning for some polishing…' She picked up a small cloth and started rubbing.

Inuyasha gave Tessaiga a sniff. 'Keh, keep your mind out of the gutter, you lecher.'

'So…Where we going today, huh? 'said Shippo.

'I believe there's a village somewhere nearby. We should be able to reach it in a few hours,' replied Sango.

'Oh.'

'Ooooh! It'll be great not having to sleep on the ground tonight!' said Kagome, passing breakfast around to everyone.

Sango continued, 'I think there are some rumours of demon activity. We may be able to see if there is a connection to Naraku.'

'Keh! I'll finally get the bastard this time then. Tessaiga's good and ready to kill some more demons.'

Inuyasha grinned at his sword.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Kagome bowed to the older gentleman. 'Thank you for your kindness and generosity, elder. It is most appreciated.'

'Yea! We get to sleep inside tonight!' yelled the fox demon.

'Shut up, brat,' said Inuyasha, trying to bat at him. Kagome looked at him pointedly.

She gave a light cough, and looked at their host. 'If I may ask, what do you know of the rumours going around? If there's any trouble, we're always willing to help. We're excellent at ridding demons!'

The old man smiled. 'Ah, young priestess! How fortunate! We'd be glad of your assistance.' He then sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. 'We have always lived peaceably within this village, you see, and have only recently had problems this past year. We were fortunate to have a young man, a boy perhaps, come and offer help, but a few weeks ago this young demon exterminator mysteriously left without note or reason, leaving us to the mercy of these demons.'

Everyone perked up at this new information.

'What was his name, do you know?' asked Sango.

He scratched his head. 'No, nope. I don't think we ever got his name. Nice young fellow, though. At least before he up and left.'

Everyone looked at each other. Inuyasha directed his gaze towards the old man. 'So what of these demons?'

The elder sighed again. 'These strange demons come to our village, causing wreckage amongst our farms, taking our livestock, injuring our people. We believe this sorceress in the forest is creating all this trouble. Yet, after our many attempts, we haven't been able to find her. Indeed, a few days ago, a darkness seem to cover the land, and some sort of vicious cloud filled the forest.'

'You mean miasma?' said Miroku.

'Aye…you may call it that, young man. There was a strangeness, an unnaturalness, you can say, that you could just feel in your bones. Terrified everybody. It was nothing good of this world, I can tell you.'

'Yes, if you can get rid of these demons, we'd be most gracious. These old bones just can't take the excitement like they used to.'

After thanking him again, the old man shuffled away.

Sango looked at everybody. 'So…do you think it's Naraku?'

'The young boy sounded like Kohaku,' piped up Kagome. 'What's Naraku planning?'

'Keh, sounds like the bastard was stinking the whole place up,' said Inuyasha. He patted his sword. 'Let's see what this old witch is up to.'

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Eh… I was going to add a bit more, but I figured you'd like an update instead! - Please review!


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